Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment
|season = 3 |number = 7 |overall = 74 |airdate = November 23, 1953 |production = 3-7 / 074 |imdb = tt0609314 |writer = Bob Carroll Jr. Madelyn Pugh Jess Oppenheimer |director = William Asher |previous = "The French Revue" |next = "Too Many Crooks" |image = |imagewidth = 300px}} http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/Happiness.jpg http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/PaintFeathers.jpg Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment was the 74th episode of I Love Lucy, also the 7th episode of Season 3 of the series. The episode, was directed by William Asher, originally aired on CBS-TV on November 23, 1953. Synopsis Lucy decides that she and Ricky are going to redecorate the Mertzes' apartment. Plot Lucy wants to help Ethel redecorate the Mertzes' apartment, because she knows that Ethel is ashamed at how the apartment looks, enough so that Ethel never wants to hold club meetings at her place. The foursome all are enjoying the renovation, but soon, mishaps occur, everyone blames Lucy, and the Mertzes' apartment seems ruined. But there is a happy ending. The Ricardos' buy new furniture (yes, again!), and the Mertzes' get the Ricardos' old furniture. The only downside? The mink stole Lucy couldn't wait for Ricky to buy her wholesale? The mink money went to the expense of buying the new furniture and fixing the Mertzes' apartment. Trivia *This is one of the few times that Lucille Ball completely messes up one of her lines. She was supposed to say "paint the apartment and re-upholster the old furniture," but she slipped and said, "paint furniture and re-upholster the old furniture." It was thanks to Desi Arnaz's quick thinking and ad-libbing of the line "I didn't hear you" that the scene was able to go on. *Fred wants the apartment to be painted orange. We never do find out what color the chosen paint was. *In the final scene, where Lucy and Ethel are sitting on Lucy's new furniture, you can still see rogue feathers from the previous scene floating around. *A very cute still from this episode of Lucy hugging Ricky, showing her love and excitement for the mink stole, has been printed on lots of Lucy merchandise. The still has been titled "happiness" and "the big squeeze." So, if you've ever wondered what happiness looks like, simply watch this episode! *The set designer at the time, Ted Offenbecker, didn't like the Ricardo's sectional couch set of furniture, so that is what inspired this episode to be written. Also, the writers thought it would be best to give Fred and Ethel some better-looking furniture, so that scenes could take place in the Mertz's apartment more, for a fresh look. *We learn that Mrs. Trumbull always babysits Little Ricky for free. *We hear Ethel singing "Lily of the Valley" from the "Pleasant Peasant" operetta when she's setting up to play cards with the Ricardos. Starring *Lucille Ball ... as Lucy Ricardo *Desi Arnaz ... as Ricky Ricardo *Vivian Vance ... as Ethel Mertz *William Frawley ... as Fred Mertz Guest starring *Joseph and Michael Mayer ... as Little Ricky Ricardo Category:Episodes Category:Season 3 Episodes